Practice golf club structure



Oct. 20, 1936. Q COSTELLO 2,057,821

PRACTICE GOLF CLUB STRUCTURE Filed July 6, 1955 Patented Get. 20, 1936 MNETE STATES PATENT orriee This invention relates to an improved practice golf club structure or golf club appliance particularly adapted for practice purposes to improve the accuracy of the player and facilitate 5, practice in driving either by means of a special club designed specifically for that purpose or by means of an attachment capable of being applied to an old or disused driver in order to adapt the same for use for practice purposes.

One object of the invention is the provision of a practice club of this character provided with two sets of spaced members separated from each other a distance somewhat less than the diameter of a golf ball such as is used for practice purposes in order to permit such ball to be driven between the members of opposed sets and retained in such position therebetween as to indicate to the user the accuracy of the swing and What modification, if any, may be required in the swing in order that the ball will contact with the true center of the theoretical striking face of the club.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this'character having the two sets of spaced members so positioned and the members themselves so formed as to be capable of receiving therebetween a golf ball struck by the club and retaining the same in any one of a variety of different positions longitudinally of the club head, thereby indicating what correction may be necessary in order to improve the swing so that the point of impact will take place at the desired central position with relation, to the striking face of a driver.

A further, object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character so formed as to be adapted for use as an attachment capable of being readily applied to the face of a driver to thereby adapt the driver for use as a practice club for indicating to the user such corrections as may be necessary in his play.

Further objects and advantages of the invention relate to various improved details of construction and novel arrangements of the parts as will be more fully set forth in the detailed description to follow.

Referring to the drawing:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a driver of the usual construction having secured to the driving face an attachment embodying one form of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective View of the attachment shown separated from the club and i1- lustrating more clearly the form and arrangement of the parts, and,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention embodying a practice golf club designed specifically for use for practice purposes and adapted for use in practice to develop accuracy in striking the ball.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, I designates generally a driver provided with a head 2 and a shaft portion 3, as is usual in devices of this character. The head 2 is provided with a striking face 4, which is inclined rearwardly slightly from the perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the base when the club head is in position for meeting the ball, as is customary in devices of this character, and the angle of inclination is indicated by the lines 5 and 6 drawn respectively along the face of the club and perpendicular to a horizontal plane at or adjacent to the point of impact.

The attachment comprises a base portion 1 h provided with suitable openings for the insertion of securing means, such as screws 8, for attaching the base to the striking face 4 of the club head. The base portion 1 may vary in thickness from its upper edge portion 9 to its lower edge portion I0, the variation in thickness being substantially sufficient to compensate for the degree of inclination of the striking face of the club head so that the two sets of spaced members projecting outwardly from the base will be positioned or lie in substantial parallelism with a horizontal plane located at or adjacent to the point where the club head meets the ball.

Two or more outwardly projecting members I I are formed integral with or secured to the lower edge portion ID of the base and project outwardly therefrom, while two or more similar members I2 are formed integral with or secured to the upper edge portion 9 of the base and extend outwardly therefrom in spaced relation with the members II.

As shown in the drawing, each member II may be located in directly opposed relation with the corresponding member I2, but this exact arrangement of the opposed members may be varied if desired, and the length, shape and general extent of the members II and I2 may be varied as is found expedient or best adapted for use in practice. The members I I are preferably located substantially within a common plane, as is also the case with the members l2, and the general plane of the members I is spaced from the plane of the members I2, and separated therefrom a distance slightly less than the diameter of a practice golf ball.

The free end portions l5 and side edges l6 of the projecting members H and I2 are preferably of a blunt shape and rounded substantially throughout to present a smooth surface to a golf ball I! when brought into contact therewith and thus permit the golf ball l! to be forced within the space defined by the opposed projecting members or be deflected outwardly therefrom when struck, without injury to its surface.

As may be seen upon reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the projecting members I l and I2 extend in a direction at substantially right angles to a vertical plane passed through the head and shank portion of the club at the time of contact with the ball, or in the direction of the path of travel of the club head as indicated by the dotted line I8. The projecting members H and I2 are therefore located, at the time of contact with the ball H, in a position to permit entry of the ball within the space defined by the projecting members, as indicated by the line Zil, if the stroke has been made so as to bring the ball I! into position to contact with the center 2! of the striking face of the club. If the club head is swung so as to meet the ball at a point offset longitudinally of the striking face from the true center 2|, the ball will be forced between two oppositely positioned projecting members H and 42, and held in this position to indicate to the user the error in swinging the club. If the swing of the club is such as to engage the ball too far above or below the center of the ball to permit its entry into the space between the projecting members, the ball will be driven a short distance through contact with one or more of the ends l5, but will not be injured owing to the blunt rounded formation of the projecting member ends.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the club 25 comprises a head portion 26 and shank portion 27. The head portion 26 may be formed with a connecting portion 28 connecting oppositely spaced portions 29 and 3B, which may be formed integral with or attached to the connecting portion 28, and located in substantial parallelism with each other so that they extend in substantially horizontal planes when the club head is in position for contact with a practice ball.

The oppositely spaced portions 29 and 30 are provided with projecting members 3| and 32 respectively, which extend forwardly from the oppositely spaced portions and in the direction of travel of the club head as it is swung to meet the ball. The free ends 33 and side edges 34 of the projecting members 3| and 32 are preferably so formed as to be blunted and somewhat rounded transversely, and the ends are rounded in contour to permit the entry of a practice golf ball within the space 36 defined by said projecting members or its deflection therefrom without injury to the ball.

While Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing show the practice golf club in the form of a driver of conventional form provided with an attachment secured to the striking face thereof for practice purposes, and, Fig. 3 discloses a club of special construction adapted for a like purpose, the mode of operation and results obtained are the same in each case, as in each case the oppositely positioned, or upper and lower sets of projecting members, are spaced from each other a distance slightly less than the diameter of the practice golf ball H to receive the same therebetween at the theoretical center of the striking surface when correctly engaged by the club, as well as to receive and hold the same in longitudinally offset relation with the true center when engaged by the club at a point longitudinally of but offset from the true center of the striking face.

In either form of the invention as shown, the projecting members may be formed of any suitable material and given any desired shape capable of presenting rounded end and edge surfaces to a practice golf ball and at the same time having suflicient transverse extent to prevent penetration of the ball by one of the projecting members and furnish sufficient transverse area for gripping and retaining the ball, when the ball is forced within a portion of the space defined by the oppositely positioned sets of projecting members. The provision of projecting members of substantial transverse extent in a direction longitudinally of the club head provides relatively wide gripping areas for gripping and holding a golf ball forced therebetween, and serves to permit retention of the golf ball in any one of a plurality of positions longitudinally of the club head dependent upon the location of the point of contact of the striking face of the club with the ball, either at or offset longitudinally of the head from the true center of the striking face.

What I claim is:

1. In a practice golf club comprising a shank portion and a head portion, separate sets of projecting members extending outwardly from that part of the head portion which corresponds with the striking face of an ordinary golf club and spaced from each other a distance materially less than the diameter of a practice golf ball to compressibly receive therebetween a practice golf ball when struck at such an angle as to force an entry within the space defined by said opposed sets of projecting members, said members being each provided with rounded end and edge portions adapted to guide a practice golf ball within the space defined by the opposed sets of projecting members or deflect the same therefrom without injury to the ball.

2. In a practice golf club comprising a shank portion and a head portion, a plurality of spaced members projecting outwardly from the head portion in a direction at substantially right angles to a plane passed through the head and shank portions of the club, to form spaced sets of projecting members, the members of each set being spaced from the other set to provide a ball receiving area therebetween of less extent vertically of the club head than the diameter of a practice golf ball and of greater extent longitudinally of the club head than the diameter of a practice golf ball, whereby a practice golf ball may be compressibly received and held within the space defined by said members in any one of a plurality of positions longitudinally of the head portion of said club.

3. In a practice attachment for golf clubs, a base portion, means for attaching said base portion to the striking face of a golf club, a plurality of projecting members carried by said base portion and extending outwardly therefrom in definite planes spaced from each other a distance equal to or less than the diameter of a practice golf ball, said members being each provided with transversely rounded side and end portions, and being arranged in position to define an oblong area the major axis of which coincides substantially with the longitudinal extent of the club head for receiving and retaining a practice golf ball therein.

4. In a practice attachment for golf clubs, a base portion adapted for attachment to the striking face of a golf club head and varying in thickness substantially uniformly in a direction sub stantially vertically of the striking face of the club head, a plurality of projecting members carried by said base portion and extending outwardly from said club head and arranged to define and circumscribe substantially a ball receiving area located outwardly of the club head, said projecting members being arranged in groups spaced from each other vertically of the club head and each shaped to form with the others a transversely extending ball engaging area of substantial extent and provide relatively wide contact surfaces between opposed projecting members and a practice golf ball retained therebetween, and having the end and side edges thereof rounded substantially throughout their extents to prevent injury to the surface of the golf ball.

HENRY O. COSTELLO. 

